


right where it begins

by orphan_account



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Also kind of, Angst, First Kiss, Inline with canon, Love Confessions, M/M, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-07
Updated: 2015-09-07
Packaged: 2018-04-19 12:17:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4746203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He originally wasn't sure why, the other never bothered to drop hints or mention motives. But he gets there, sees the small rucksack on the couch and the blood stained bandages - which he helped replace - and no words were needed. He was leaving town."</p>
            </blockquote>





	right where it begins

"So this is where it ends, I guess."

Laxus' words stung a little bit. Little bit cold, little bit estranged, little bit sad, little bit torn apart. Regardless of the tone they still force Freed to confront his least favorite emotion: despair.

"I-I don't think...it doesn't have to be, you know."

Laxus had told Freed to come over, that it was urgent and the offer stood for a very limited amount of time. He originally wasn't sure why, the other never bothered to drop hints or mention motives. But he gets there, sees the small rucksack on the couch and the blood stained bandages - which he helped replace - and no words were needed. He was leaving town. 

Freed had to focus on anything other than the large, brutish, _gentle_ frame pacing around the bedroom. "Did you get to tell Bixlow and Evergreen yet?" he stupidly asks. He's not legitimately interested in the answer but maybe if he keeps asking the questions, the other will feel compelled to respond and it'll delay his departure. For a minute there's no response. He just glares at the floor lamp as if it's the reason for the disaster.

"Laxus, I'm sorry I didn't stop you from doing this," he finds himself saying. Still no response. "Are you even listening-"

"Can you shut the fuck up? I don't need dramatics. I just want to go with the last piece of dignity," Laxus spits, but he can easily sense the shakiness and uncertainty in place of the usual graceless agitation. 

They remain in shuffling, suffering silence for a few moments longer. He realizes that the dim orange glow of the light feels romantic, like Laxus should really be seducing him instead of moving out as quickly as he came in. Everyone always said to be careful: storms blow in rapidly but blow out at the same speed, leaving scars in the soil and puddles in the cobblestone. It only crosses his mind now because it hits him that this is the end of the storm. 

This is where the omniscient quiet rolls in after the loud cracks of thunder, the frighteningly beautiful flashes of lightning, where the dark fog gives way to the open light gray sky. Freed wants to stay in the rain forever, doesn't mind how wet he gets, doesn't mind how violent the storm is, doesn't mind if the lightning strikes him right through the chest. He'll be the only one out there while the storm rages but Laxus, Makarov, fate, the world is hellbent on making sure that isn't an option for him anymore.

His thoughts are interrupted when he hears a sheepish murmur of "Sorry, didn't mean to snap at you." He's _really_ interrupted when the blonde abruptly steps in front of him. Freed doesn't look up, he just stares at the clean gauze on the broad chest. He notices how they've stopped bleeding through and that soothes him. Easier to distract himself with that then the proximity of his teammate, his friend, his confidant; and then it's dizziness, and he's gripping Laxus' arm and staring up at him.

"Laxus, I...I have to tell you something. Now."

The dragon slayer wears a face of concern, but also of curiosity and amusement. The emotions finally hit Freed too, and he physically cannot stop the words from stumbling out of his mouth.

"When I joined the guild, I was lonely, a lot of the others didn't talk to me. I'm not trying to share my sob story, but I met you shortly after that. And it wasn't that you saved my life but I was captivated in how miserable you were-"

"Thanks."

"-and how you walked with an arrogant disinterest but also like you were antsy. Your grandfather asked me to watch out for you and, god Laxus, I can never just help myself. I just had to go and form the Thunder Legion and everything went downhill from there, you're always on my mind, _always_. I try to stop it but you're stuck in there and I didn't mean for it to be that way. Didn't mean to let you complete me. I especially didn't mean to admit it like this, but you're leaving and it's real and-"

He makes the last second decision to stop rambling. The hand on the blonde's arm is clutching tighter than what should be possible while the other trembles, grabs his neck and crashes their lips together. 

He closes his eyes and pretends this is how he's fantasized it would be since he could remember. Pretends that they're under the cherry blossoms and he gave the proper confession, rehearsed and articulated. All of it would be received well and Laxus would sweep the rune mage up in his arms to kiss him right there, a beautiful sunset streaking the town behind them. This is the only thing he's truly longed for in all of his twenty years.

The cards as they were dealt to him featured saltiness, wet cheeks and a seed of regret rapidly sprouting in his stomach instead. A stuffy bedroom and no tomorrow to be considered. Luckily, he met no resistance, disgusted looks, or roars to get out. However he's not sure if it's because Laxus feels bad seeing him in this pathetic condition, or he's too shocked to do anything other than let Freed do what he wants, or he wants this just as much. He can't bring himself to care about the reasoning. What if he never gets this chance again?

He begins stepping forward to fill in an already small gap. It's been going on ten seconds, Freed took it upon himself to count, and no one's parted yet. At twenty he wraps both arms around the taller man's neck. At thirty he's thinking about the aftermath of all of this. Laxus' lips hang heavy, almost with guilt, but Freed doesn't let it ruin the moment. At forty, longer than Freed expected any of this to go, Laxus places him back against the wall and gently removes his mouth. 

To say Freed was blushing would be a wild understatement. He was the color of a rose, crimson like the blood in the previous bandages, flush from high on his cheeks to his collarbones. Chest was heaving hard too, panic and desire fighting for room in his lungs. It was obvious what was coming. It was also obvious that he was never good at sorting his mind in situations like this so begins to shove the other way with full force. "Oh god, Laxus...I'm so-"

"Freed Justine, can you ever stop talking?" He laughs lightly, awkwardly, "Let me talk for once before you go rushing into apologies." Laxus quickly glances at the clock on the bedside table, knowing it was time to go five minutes ago. "It's okay. I'm not angry or upset."

Freed watches as Laxus returns to his bed and grabs his bag. "I gotta go," he dismissively says, nothing of the previous moments affecting conversation now. "That doesn't change." The rune mage follows him, as always, out of the room and to the entry door. 

He thinks he would just rather have Laxus scream at him about the new stressful revelation than pretend it didn't happen. Both of the men share glances as they reach the living room. When the fingers touch the handle, Freed reflexively reaches a hand up. Stops himself halfway.

"I'll be back" is the last thing Laxus throws over his shoulder before closing the door and officially beginning his exile. Freed watched the thunderclouds roll out over the horizon and couldn't stop the sobbing. The sobs become a few plaintive wails, a few self-aimed jabs, plenty of tears to flood the home. Laxus would be back. The storm would return, sunshine days don't last forever. 

He's so damn sick of waiting, though.

**Author's Note:**

> I talked about this with vermiliions from tumblr and we both got hella emotional. That coupled with Is There Somewhere prompted me to write this. It's semi-inline with plot after Laxus is exiled in the Battle of Fairy Tail arc and I ran with the characters as I felt the story fit them best and this is the ( ~~sucky~~ ) result. I'm thinking of writing a part two, so I guess tell me if your interested in that. I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
